| MATCHUP | Eastern Michigan Eagles | Massachusetts Minutemen |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 9-13 | 14-9 |
| Where | Mullins Center, Amherst, MA | |
| When | Saturday, January 31, 2026 | |
| Time | 06:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Eastern Michigan Eagles and the UMass Minutemen meet Saturday in college basketball action from Mullins Center. Here’s an Eastern Michigan vs UMass prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Eastern Michigan vs UMass pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Eastern Michigan Eagles Betting Preview
Eastern Michigan started out the year on a 6-4 run over their first 10 games out of the gate. The Eagles lost three straight versus Fort Wayne, Akron and Wright State after that, then hit a 3-2 stretch with losses to Ohio and Western Michigan. Since then it’s been three more losses versus Bowling Green, Kent State and Central Michigan. That gives the Eagles a 9-12 run through 21 games so far.
In the Central Michigan matchup on Tuesday the Eagles went into the second half sporting a two-point deficit 38-36. Eastern Michigan got blasted on a 62-29 run from there, eventually taking the blowout loss on the road 100-65. Tops in scoring was Mak Manciel with 16 points and Gregory Lawson had 14 points with five boards. Addison Patterson added 13 points with five rebounds.
UMass Minutemen Betting Preview
Over on the UMass side, they managed an 8-3 stretch over their first 11 games with losses to Marshall, Charleston and Green Bay. A 1-4 run came next with only a win over Massachusetts-Boston, but UMass is 4-2 since then. The victories in that quintet came versus Ball State, Western Michigan, Toledo and Buffalo. Over 22 games that gives the Minutemen a 13-9 overall run.
Matched up against Miami-OH on Tuesday the Minutemen were in the locker room looking up at a 47-43 advantage. UMass was outscored 43-37 the rest of the way however, leading to a disappointing loss on the road 86-84 in the end. Leonardo Bettiol led the team with 22 points, 16 rebounds and two assists while Marcus Banks added 18 points with two rebounds in 32 minutes.
Eastern Michigan Eagles @ Massachusetts Minutemen Betting Trends: January 31, 2026
Why the Massachusetts Minutemen will win
- Eastern Michigan has lost seven of its last eight road games.
- Massachusetts has won each of its last four night games at William D. Mullins Memorial Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Eastern Michigan has lost the first half in each of its last three games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Why the Eastern Michigan Eagles will win
- Eastern Michigan has won three of its last four night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Eastern Michigan vs UMass Prediction
I’ll stick with UMass. The Minutemen are coming off a tough loss on the road versus a very good Miami-OH team, despite shooting 50.8 percent from the field with a 33-29 rebounding advantage and a 34-26 edge on points in the paint. The key difference in the loss was the RedHawks’ 28-of-38 (73.7 percent) from the line; UMass only took 17 foul shots, making 13 (76.5 percent). Still, the Minutemen are 2-1 in the last three games with 84 points in each of the wins.
These teams last saw each other back on December 30 in an 80-74 road loss for the Minutemen. UMass shot a tepid 40 percent from the field and 24 percent (6-of-25) from outside in that one, along with a 44-37 deficit on the boards. The free throws were key in that one as well: EMU made 27 of 39 (69.2 percent) while the Minutemen had 12-of-18 (66.7 percent). Fixing that disparity (and shooting better) in the home rematch should go a long way.